An imam has been apprehended in suspicion of sexually abusing a child in South-Kazakhstan Oblast, Tengrinews.kz reports.

Last Thursday a citizen of Kairanbulak village applied to police claiming that the imam of the local mosque committed a sexually abused her 12-y.o. daughter.

The Muslim religious leader was apprehended the same day. Initially the police stated that the imam “was not suspected of rape, but of sexual violence”. “The arrest warrant has not been issues yet. The court will issue it tomorrow and the prosecutors have supported the claim,” the police stated.

The imam later admitted his fault. According to the Interior Department, the 26-y.o. imam of Kainarbulak village “does not deny his fault and is deeply sorry”.

According to police, the suspect is married and has a child. The mosque in Kainabulak village is the first place of work of the clergyman.

A criminal case was initiates against the imam for violent actions of sexual nature against a person clearly under 14-y.o.”

The imam of the oblast mosque Baibut Myrzageldiyev later declared that the imam accused of violent actions against an underage girl was not an official imam of the mosque.

Head of the oblast mosque said that the official imam had not been elected in Kainarbulak village. The mosque was built in September and the official appointment was not made yet. The 26-y.o. man was elected by the local believers as there was nobody else with a similar religious education.

Meanwhile, according to azan.kz referring to the official spokesperson of the Spiritual Management of Muslims of Kazakhstan, this crime “has no excuses in Islam, law or from the human morals point of view”.

“Islam qualifies such actions as a heavy crime against a human and teaches to be a noble example for people and not threaten their lives, health, dignity and honor. All that is untouchable in Islam and is strictly protected by Shariah. As regrettable as it may be, this accident casts shadow upon all religious representatives and we are bring our apologies to the victim, her family and all Kazakhstan citizens,” the website writes.